Department of Undergraduate Studies

St Augustine College of South Africa will be introducing both BA and BTh undergraduate education programmes in 2016. These are special in that they are grounded in the ethos of St Augustine as an institution that is committed to the highest quality intellectual training and to the formation of individual students as ethically responsible, imaginative and creative members of society. Read more here.

The Department of Undergraduate Studies oversees the Bachelor Degree programmes at St Augustine. Our distinctiveness lies in the quality of our lecturing in creative small-class formats, with an emphasis on helping students to reflect critically and interdisciplinarily in light of the values of human dignity and the common good. We seek to develop ethically formed leaders who will be equipped to serve across various sectors of society in African and global contexts.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Evidence consistently demonstrates that influential leaders in all sectors of society—government, business, legal, medical, educational and others—have a solid intellectual grounding in the liberal arts, especially the humanities. The Bachelor of Arts degree at St Augustine incorporates classical elements in the study of the humanities: literature, history, economics, philosophy, political science and communication/cultural studies. The distinctive of the St Augustine degree—what makes it different—is the integration of three emphases critical for the learner to succeed not only in the South African context but in the global one as well. First, the degree centres on the African context in the exploration of the liberal arts disciplines. Graduates will possess the cultural fluency necessary to function and lead the multicultural society that is not only South Africa’s hallmark, but also the global context. The second is the impartation of ethically-based leadership abilities centred on human dignity and the common good, which is urgently needed for capacity building in all sectors. Finally, the graduate will develop essential skills in interdisciplinary critical thinking and problem solving, which are highly prized in the marketplace.

This programme is intended for students who have already completed their matriculation exam with exemption (or its equivalent NQF Level 4.) The course runs over three year’s full-time study, earning the learner a BA (NQF Level 7) when all the modules are successfully completed. The successful learner is ready to enter further study, or the world of work in a variety of fields.

The Bachelor of Theology (BTh)
The Bachelor of Theology degree at St Augustine Private Tertiary Institution is designed to lay a solid foundation for students seeking sound academic, pastoral and/or personal engagement in Theology. The three year degree includes Biblical Studies and Systematic Theology (over three years), Pastoral Studies (over two years), and Church History, Christian Ethics and Philosophy (over year each).

Students may do the programme on a full time or part time basis. The schedule of evening classes allows part time students to complete the degree over six years. Those preparing for ministry, pastoral counselling, teaching, further theological study, or just seeking personal up-dating and enrichment in Catholic theology would find this a very rewarding degree.

While working out of the Catholic Theological Tradition, our Faculty members are ecumenically open and contextually sensitive. Many of our guest lecturers represent other Christian confessions. The programme is not limited to Catholic participants; over the past years it has attracted students from many denominations, including those preparing for ministry, mainly (but not only) Anglicans. Theology at St Augustine Private Tertiary Institution is faith seeking understanding together, in dialogue.

Small class numbers allow for personalised tuition and direct interaction with dedicated and highly trained lecturers as well as with other motivated students. Joining St Augustine you become a member of a small but vibrant academic family.

Our BTh programme is unique in its balanced approach to faith and reason, engaging the two major sources for theologising: Scripture-in-Tradition and human experience. This holistic and well integrated approach to Theology is reflected in the design of our undergraduate curriculum. To be "Catholic" in an academic context means to search for the "truth running through everything" – and at St Augustine we indeed mean "everything."

Some say that studying Theology may lead to losing one's faith. We invite our BTh students to mature in their faith by making it more profound, informed and self-conscious. This life-changing experience takes place in a context that is intellectually rigorous and ethically responsible, but also characterised by awe and love before the mystery of God’s presence in our lives, in our relationships, and in the world in which we live.